If it's true that, as Shakespeare once wrote, "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players," we can say with total conviction that Anna Piaggi was a lead character in the never ending spectacle of fashion. Always suited up in the most innovative costumes, and never wearing anything twice, this avant garde muse caught our eyes and those of Karl Lagerfeld, British milliner Stephen Jones, and Manolo Blahnik during better part of the last century. The legendary dresser and fashion journalist passed away today at age 81.

Her repertoire of outfits consisted of 2865 dresses and 265 pairs of shoes, as well as a hearty selection of hats and canes, which were on display at a solo exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2008. Despite her involvement in the high realms of fashion, there was always a D.I.Y. "outsider" feel to her aesthetic. Her outfits worked like collage or quilt, and the genius of her style owed less to each individual piece, and more its eccentric assembly. Her theatrical presence will be missed along the front rows of runways this fall.

In honor of her art, take a look through some of our favorite looks created by the inimitable Anna Piaggi below.